Rechelbacher took ancient processes and ingredients from the Ayurveda, the Hindu science of longevity – and packaged them for the modern marketplace, formulating the first product, clove shampoo, in his kitchen sink.

Aveda pioneered the term “Aromatherapy,” and chose the comfrey flower, a symbol of nature as their first logo. Always a forward-thinking company, but with a retrofitted eye to a set of operating principles known as CERES, named for the Roman goddess of fertility and agriculture.

CERES (Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies) represents Aveda’s enduring ethos of integrating sustainability and environmental responsibility into capital markets, organic to a brand that knows beauty is not skin deep.

Today, the brand’s social initiatives are wide-ranging: Gifts Bright With Hope, supporting the Rainforest with their 2010 Holiday Collection; partnering with Adele Wechsler Eco Couture for Green Wedding Events; a campaign to raise $3.5 Million for Clean Water Rights, Earth Day 2010; and ongoing support for Haiti and Nepal.

Its website reflects the brand’s clean, clear, natural tone and style. The basics of Location, Chat, and Shop are easily accessible, with drill-downs to a Site for Professionals, or to sites to Become: an Aveda Salon/Spa, a Stylist, or an Esthetician.

Users are automatically served content based on their geography – initially US and the UK, without ever leaving the Aveda page. Aveda considers it a next-generation global FB experience. Aveda will integrate other countries this year with the help of Attention, its social marketing agency. Aveda also just launched its first Facebook contest in the US and UK, focused on the brand’s Be Curly product line, and just wrapped up London Fashion Week.

BC spoke with Rachael Ostrom, executive director, consumer engagement for Aveda, about the brand’s Facebook strategy, including the global tab:

BC: How is the overall initiative going?

RO: We're very pleased with the performance of the global tab since its launch on December 9, 2010, as well as the user feedback it has received. Activating a global Facebook presence has been tremendously important to our brand, as we strive to set an example for leadership and responsibility – not just in the world of beauty, but around the world. We believe that our Page should mirror our global brand, Mission and image, and will continue to supplement the tab with additional countries in 2011.

Are there differences between US and UK responses/experiences?

Our largest fan base is comprised of users from the US, and they are used to interacting with a plethora of geo-targeted Aveda content on a weekly basis. They are welcoming their US-centric hub as it takes geo-location beyond the simple status update, and features interactive, multimedia content.

The UK fans comprise a quickly-growing segment of our Facebook community. They have demonstrated, via "likes", click-throughs and comments, that they value and appreciate a section of our Page devoted to their own Aveda news. We're taking user comments and feedback into consideration as we move forward.

What kind of feedback have you received?

The feedback from our global community, as measured by comments, likes, tab views, and shares, has been overwhelmingly positive. Our global fan base grew by a tremendous 53% during the last month, and our UK fan base by 18%. We're looking forward to further deepening our interaction with users from each country by providing a rich variety of geo-targeted content and increasing the mechanisms for interaction and social sharing.

What's next?

We're proud to have embraced an option that keeps us ahead of the curve, and have opted for a fully immersive in-tab experience that anticipates Facebook's upcoming modifications. The tab will be able to auto-detect based on changes to Facebook's platform in 2011 and beyond.

Our plans also extend beyond simply adding countries to our global roster. We will be rewarding our fans with global contests, exclusive offers, live-streamed events, and customized, high-touch content, by market, in language. Our first Facebook contest launches in the US and the UK with our Be Curly line.

How important is social media to the Aveda brand? To your fans?

The beauty industry - and in Aveda's case, the sustainable beauty industry - has become inherently social. Through Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, we're able to cultivate a 1-to-1 interaction between our brand and our guests, our salons, beauty professionals, and socially conscious beauty lovers globally.

It's not only about sharing updates pertaining to news and products - it's just as important for us to hear from our community, which, through social media, is able to help us shape our brand for the future.